American Airlines has announced that it has begun the process of scheduling pilot training for the 737 MAX 8, a hopeful sign that the aircraft that has faced so much scrutiny will soon return. While the aircraft has been undergoing recertification tests worldwide, the U.S. government recently released a report accusing Boeing and the FAA of failure to properly oversee and complete the project. It is not yet known how much, if it all, this will delay the lifting of restrictions on the aircraft, but American Airlines is proceeding with training as normal (as normal can be under the circumstances).
American Airlines announced that they will begin pilot traning for the MAX in November, indicating they believe the plane will be back relatively soon. According to a spokesperson, however, the plans are not definite. "We have initiated the pilot training scheduling process, which can be canceled if the MAX is not recertified." Boeing is waiting for approval of proposed design changes of the MAX 8, which has been grounded worldwide and banned from every airspace in the world. The plans are currently being reviewed by government aviation authorities and airline flight crews from the United States, Canada, Brazil, and the European Union.
A memo from the director of flight training planning and scheduling, Ameya Kingaonkar, said "with the planned return to service for our B737 MAX aircraft in the near future, we will begin conducting B737 MAX Special Training for our B737 pilots." It also informed the pilots that "he training will consist of a distance learning training module that will last around 1 hour 40 minutes, as well as a simulator session entailing a 1-hour brief and a 2-hour simulator event." The Dallas based airline plans to release the distance learning module by Oct. 28 and begin the training of around 1,700 in November, and expects to complete training by the end of January 2021.
https://www.yahoo.com/news/american-airlines-begin-boeing-737-135015508.html
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